This study examined the socioeconomic factors that affect self-rated health (SRH) in healthy adults, and the relationship of SRH to health-related habits, serum biochemical indices, and nutritional intakes. Subjects consisted of 1,154 healthy adults without any known disease, aged 19 to 65 years (average age of 36.7), whose information was obtained from the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey data. Of these subjects, 73 rated themselves as ‘very healthy,’ 460 indicated that they were ‘healthy,’ 568 self-identified as ‘ordinary’, and 53 put themselves in the ‘unhealthy’ category. The proportion of subjects who chose ‘unhealthy’ was significantly increased with higher frequencies of disruptions in their daily lives (p<0.05), regret after drinking (p<0.05), smoking (p<0.001), and higher levels of stress (p<0.001). On the other hand, the proportion of subjects reported as ‘very healthy’ was significantly higher with regular intense (p<0.001) or moderate physical activities (p<0.05), regular walking (p<0.05), a perception of being ‘normal’ in their body image (p<0.01), a decrease of body weight more than 3 kg in the past year (p<0.05), and without risk factors for metabolic syndrome (p<0.05). Serum triglyceride level was lower, and 25-(OH) vitamin D content was significantly higher, in the ‘very healthy’ group as compared to the ‘unhealthy’ group (p<0.05). Dietary fiber and vitamin C intakes were significantly higher in the ‘very healthy’ group than ‘unhealthy’ group (p<0.05). The overall results suggest that a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, non-smoking, good stress management, and higher intakes of fiber and vitamin C, may be potential factors that affect one’s positive perception of health.

• 윤지현(서울여자대학교 자연과학대학 식품영양학과) | Ji Hyun Yoon
• 이루지(서울여자대학교 자연과학대학 식품영양학과) | Ru Zi Lee
• 김미정(서울여자대학교 자연과학대학 식품영양학과) | Mi Joung Kim Corresponding author